


Unexpected Outcomes

by Stormlyht



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, just after season 2, life on the street, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 01:52:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormlyht/pseuds/Stormlyht
Summary: After dying and being reborn as a werewolf, Jackson ends up running away from Beacon Hills.  Several months later, Erica and Boyd end up crossing paths with him.  None of them are doing well, but maybe they can do better together.





	Unexpected Outcomes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TamerOfPickles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TamerOfPickles/gifts).



> My humblest apologies to [ryanwithcupcake](http://ryanwithcupcake.tumblr.com/) for taking so long to get this finished. The boys took some coaxing to get into their correct positions, but at least once they did, they were very... amenable. ;) I hope you like it!
> 
> This is part of the [Fandom Cares](http://fandomcares.tumblr.com/) auctions, something I'm exceedingly proud to be a part of. They are awesome people, doing awesome work!
> 
> Lastly, I suck at tagging, if there's anything that anyone feels I've neglected to tag and want/needs, let me know and I'll add it.

Boyd

When Vernon Boyd first saw the boy in the alley, he didn’t know who it was. The scent was a little familiar, but there were other scents, overwhelming scents, that left him cringing away from the scrawny figure in threadbare clothes. It wasn’t until he was passing again, but this time with Erica, that he figured it out.

“Is that… is that Jackson?” she whispered and Vernon turned to glance over once more. The boy lifted his gaze, blue eyes flickering between Erica and Vernon like he was terrified of being seen. Then he scrambled up and ran further back in the alley, out of sight.

“Shit,” Vernon said, shaking his head. “I think he’s doing worse than we are.”

“Yeah.” She looked at him and raised her eyebrows. “Do you… do you want to go after him?”

“No.” If Jackson wanted to be found, he would have by now. “Let’s just… let’s just go to that run down place we slept last night. Get some sleep, decide if we want to move on or not.” He didn’t think they were moving on just yet, but Erica was flighty, and he tended to follow where she led.

It was what got them in this mess in the first place.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly before dragging him off. It wasn’t like they were going far.

*

Three months ago they left Beacon Hills searching for a new wolf pack. Two months and two weeks ago they realized they had been dreaming. Two months ago, they agreed not to return. Both of them could still feel the broken threads of their pack bonds with Derek and Isaac, but neither one of them was willing to admit defeat. Being alone, being together, was better than the bloodshed and horror of Beacon. At least, that was what they thought.

Back then they’d still had some money, some items they could sell, and were sleeping in beds. Now they were crashing at different abandoned houses that smelled mostly of urine and vomit, stealing from people to buy food, occasionally going to parks and chasing after rabbits. Which they then had to cook over small campfires because neither one of them could stomach raw meat. They knew, they’d tried it.

Their clothes were down to basics, two outfits that they switched between when they had to wash, the washing usually done in public restrooms and hung to dry in those abandoned places. Which meant they always smelled terrible, but couldn’t do anything about it. When the full moon came, they left whatever flop house they were in and ran to the nearest woods, never quite willing to howl, but removing themselves as far from others as they could. So far, they’d only killed one person. Vernon was continuing to count it as a win.

Erica hated this way of living. Vernon could feel it, the bonds between himself and her so strong he knew every time she needed to pee. Which was annoying because sometimes he didn’t know if it was himself that needed to go or her. Periods were a bitch, but at least he could draw some of her pain. She felt like it was her fault they were in this situation. She thought he’d leave her. She was self conscious all the time, because it was like she’d gone back to being that epileptic freak in school just because she didn’t have regular baths and hair product. Almost all the confidence she’d gained from becoming a werewolf had fled in the face of being a runaway. Vernon couldn’t do more than be by her side and show how much he cared about her. Sometimes that even helped.

Neither of their parents were looking for them, as far as they could tell. They hadn’t gotten ridiculously far away, were still in California, but they were far enough that they didn’t even hear about the crap that was happening in Beacon Hills. It was a relief not to be fighting for survival every day. Even if they traded one war out for another. It was jut the two of them, but it was enough. It had to be.

*

“When we have money again,” Erica whispered as they curled up on blankets that mostly smelled like dirt. “I want a bubble bath.”

“When we have money again,” Vernon whispered back. “I want to eat a steak dinner, and I don’t care what I’m wearing.”

They smiled at each other and closed their eyes.

*

Jackson

Jackson was at an all time low. Seeing Erica and Boyd walking past dropped him as far as he could get. It was obvious they were on their own as well, but they were clothed and looked fed, even if there were bags under Erica’s eyes and Boyd looked like he’d lost at least ten pounds. He could be bitter about it, they’d gotten more training than he had, they seemed to be able to get money enough to eat, or he could just chalk it up to the fact that they were more used to living without money than he was.

The only thing he had left to sell was himself these days, and he didn’t do that unless he was desperate. That kind of desperation didn’t happen very often. With those two in town, he wasn’t about to let himself be seen doing that. Even if there was no way for them to know it was happening.

He slunk back to the section of alley he called his home, covered from the rain by the awning of one of the buildings, his blanket smelling only like himself and the grime of the street. It was night, one of the few times he could safely ask for money, but those two were out there and he didn’t like the feeling that they might see him, they might really see what had become of him. It was too much for him to deal with, so he curled up under the blanket and forced himself to go to sleep.

*

“I don’t get what you’re so freaked out over,” Danny said, sitting down on the edge of Jackson’s bed and leaning back. “Look, I know you’re going through some stuff but -“

“You can’t possibly know what I’m going through,” Jackson snarled. He faced his best friend and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a big deal, and there’s nothing I can do to… to make it better.”

“So talk to me, tell me what’s going on so I can help you.” Danny met his steely gaze with one of his own. “There’s nothing you can tell me that I won’t believe.”

Which Jackson actually knew about Danny, but this wasn’t the kind of thing that you just said out loud. Jackson had fought for these abilities, had fought to become a werewolf, and now that he was, he was having the hardest time ever controlling them. Derek was terrible at teaching him.

“I can’t. I just can’t talk about it.” Jackson looked away and up at the moon, nearly full and bright in the sky. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“So you aren’t even going to attempt to tell me so I can try to?” Danny asked as he stood up and stepped into Jackson’s line of sight. “Really?”

Jackson met Danny’s eyes and shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Fine.” Danny stepped back and headed for the door. “When you’re ready to talk, know I’m here.” Then he left, and Jackson didn’t say anything to make him stay.

*

“You have to get this,” Derek snapped. “Why aren’t you trying?”

“I am trying!” Jackson growled back, staring down at his hand, and the claws that were extended, not sure how to make them go away.

“Well it looks like you aren’t from here.” Derek stepped forward and took Jackson’s hand. “It looks like you’re just staring at your fingers.”

“Well you do it then!” Jackson lunged at Derek. “You make it all perfect. Show me how it’s done, show me the things that don’t work some more!” He pushed Derek, who took a step back, but didn’t look any less stubborn than before. “Show me so I can see how badly I’m failing again. Come on big man! Do it!”

“Jackson,” Lydia’s voice came from the ruined house, and Jackson turned a snarl at her.

“Leave me alone!” Then he was running, and running, and he didn’t even know when the full moon came out because he was just running away. The wind was in his face, he could smell everything, he could taste blood and flesh, and he drank from a stream, water so cold it made his teeth ache. He’d never felt so free before in his life.

When he woke up, he was in a small cave, exhausted and sick, vomiting up whatever he’d eaten the night before. It took him two days to find his way out of the woods. Two hours to realize he was a ridiculous distance from Beacon Hills, and two more days to realize he just didn’t want to go back.

So he stayed, in this busy town with too many people and not enough money for a scrawny kid like him. He didn’t want to go back, and he didn’t know how to move forward.

*

Boyd

It was over a day before Vernon saw Jackson again. Erica was doing whatever it was Erica did when she had fifty bucks to her name, and he was eating a burger in the sun. It was the weekend, which he only knew because no one asked him about school. Movement came from the alley next to him and he glanced over to see the shape disappear around a corner.

His heart sped up, and he jumped to his feet, tossing the rest of his burger back into the bag as he chased after the figure. Jackson glanced back once and then went faster, Vernon catching up even though Jackson knew the streets better than he did. He chased Jackson through several alleys, across a busy street, and finally pounced on him, sliding through slush as they grappled.

When Jackson finally stopped moving it was because Vernon had Jackson’s wrists in his hands and was sitting on him. “Cut it out,” Vernon snapped. “I just want to talk to you.”

“Really?” Jackson snarled, looking at his hands and then back to Vernon with raised eyebrows. “Just talk?”

“You’re the one who ran away,” Vernon snapped and Jackson shrugged.

“Get off of me, we can talk.” Jackson didn’t meet Vernon’s eyes this time.

“I don’t know if I trust you,” Vernon said. Jackson rolled his eyes, the motion just as epic as ever and it made Vernon smile. “Promise,” he said.

“Fine. I promise you can talk to me.” Jackson looked back at him then and Vernon moved off, letting go of Jackson’s wrists and standing up. He offered a hand to Jackson, who eyed it for a moment before taking it and allowing himself to be hefted to his feet.

Jackson was thin, too thin, mostly bones and not enough weight. Not that Vernon could really talk, he was underweight as well, but Jackson seemed almost sick, skin yellowish beyond the grime.

“You look like crap,” Vernon said and Jackson raised his eyebrows.

“If that’s all you have to say,” Jackson started, and Vernon reached out to wrap his fingers around Jackson’s wrist. It shouldn’t be so easy to do that.

“I just mean, you shouldn’t be alone out here.” Vernon glanced at the bag of food that had fallen when he’d tackled Jackson.

“It’s not like there are people lining up to be my friend,” Jackson snapped. He pulled his hand away from Vernon and walked towards the bag, picking it up and opening it. “I’m eating your fries.”

“Fine, but I’m finishing my burger.” Vernon took the bag when Jackson offered it, and the two of them sat down on a step. “What are you even doing out here?”

“Dying. What are you doing out here?”

Vernon was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I don’t know.”

“You have that fancy pack of yours back home, why aren’t you with them?” Jackson stuffed a couple fries in his mouth, glancing at Vernon every once in a while.

“It just… it felt wrong, going back to them after, you know, everything. Erica and I ran off, we left Derek, and we tried to find the pack we’d heard, but there was nothing there. No one. So we just kept traveling, and now, well, we can’t ask for help now, can we?”

“Would you even go back, if they’d take you?” Jackson asked, and he was staring off at the wall of the building across from them like it carried the secret to the universe. Vernon didn’t think anything carried such secrets.

“I don’t know.” He finished his burger and tossed the wrapper back into the bag. “Would you?”

“No,” Jackson said firmly. “I don’t… I never belonged there.” He wiped his fingers off on a napkin, leaving lines of brown behind and shrugged. “Not even as a kid.”

“Your parent’s love you, don’t they? Why did you leave?”

“None of your business,” Jackson hissed. He stood up and turned to Vernon. “If that’s all,” he started but Vernon stood up as well, reaching out a hand to touch Jackson’s shoulder. He didn’t comment on the way Jackson leaned into his touch, Vernon understood very well what it was like to need someone to touch you but be unable to say anything.

“Stay with us,” he said quickly. Erica would hate him for offering, but he couldn’t imagine leaving Jackson alone out here.

“What am I, some street kid you can’t bear to see scrapping it, so you want to take care of me? I’m not your charity case,” Jackson snapped and Vernon rolled his eyes.

“It’s not like we’re doing that much better than you are. Just… to have someone who understands. Maybe someone who you can be with during the full moon too.”

“Full moons mean nothing, and I don’t need you either.” Jackson yanked himself away from Vernon and stalked off down the alley. “Don’t follow me.”

As though just telling Vernon would make it happen. He could follow Jackson by scent if he wanted to, Jackson smelled just as bad as he and Erica did. Maybe worse. Only Vernon stood there and watched Jackson disappear, not doing anything to follow. Forcing the issue wouldn’t do either of them any good.

*

Jackson

“We love you,” his mother’s voice echoed across the empty void.

“You’re our son, make no mistake about that,” his father’s voice agreed, and the two voices bounced around him.

Jackson was in total darkness, nothing but the voices surrounding him, words changing as he walked. There was no light, nothing to touch, nothing to feel but the ground under his bare feet.

“You’re our baby boy, nothing could change that.”

“You don’t have to do anything to impress us, just having you is what’s important.”

“I wish you’d pick a less violent sport, have you considered basketball?”

“I didn’t get you that car so you could get into accidents, I got it for you so you could be safe!”

“What’s happening to you?”

“Why don’t you care about yourself Jackson?”

Jackson pressed his hands over his ears, trying to block out the words, the concern lacing each sentence, the pain he’d caused parents who’d picked him. Who’d cared for him his entire life. Parents who he didn’t deserve, parents who had done everything for him, and he’d repaid them by nearly killing them. What he’d done was the most cliched thing ever, and he didn’t know how to change that.

He started running. Nothing moved, nothing changed, the voices became more panicked, as if to match his own pounding heart. His feet pounded on rough ground, his lungs began to hurt from the deep breaths he was taking in, his eyes were streaming tears and nothing changed. Nothing was different, there were no walls, no wind, just never-ending darkness.

“What are you?” his mother’s voice gasped, and he stumbled, falling to his knees, hands leaving his ears to stop himself from falling on his face. Her voice was terrified, the last words that he’d heard from her echoing in the silence that followed.

“No,” he moaned as he covered his face with his arms. He was curling up in a ball, unable to stop, unable to do anything. Just like he’d been unable to stop himself from hurting her.

*

He woke up tangled in the cardboard he slept on, tears drying on his cheeks and leaving crust behind. Jackson stood up, wiping himself off, scrubbing at his face. What the hell was he doing anyway? Living like this, living out here and letting everything pass him by. Why was he wasting his life like this?

Walking out of the alley and going back to the road, he stared at the people passing him by. Maybe seeing their faces would help him understand. An hour passed and nothing changed except he got propositioned for two blow jobs and one hand job from a guy in a car, which he knew better than to take. Don’t go anywhere with anyone. He was stronger than they were, but he had to be careful, they might have drugs that fucked up everything.

He walked away from the street and leaned against the side of a building. These streets weren’t anything special. They didn’t give him what he needed, but they did allow him to be away from everything. Anonymous. Lost.

“Stay with us,” Boyd’s voice carried through his mind and he shivered, feeling the touch of the other boy as though it was branded on his skin. Maybe it was, he could still smell him. What good would it do him though, really. He didn’t add anything but misery to the people around him. He didn’t want to.

*

When it started raining, Jackson moved under an awning and sat down to wait it out. That’s what you did out here, unless you took the opportunity to shower in the rain. Sometimes it helped get the dirt off, but he didn’t feel like spending hours drying off. The rain masked everything, scents, sounds, sight, and that was probably why he didn’t notice when Erica and Boyd came around the corner.

“Hey,” Boyd’s voice carried through the falling water and Jackson looked up at him, trying not to seem surprised. “We’re heading to an abandoned apartment, get some shelter. Wanna come with us?”

Erica moved so she was under the awning with Jackson. “It’s fucking cold rain,” she griped. Jackson could see the toll being out here was taking on her, the way her stomach was a little too thin, the way her hair was flat and stringy. It was worse than with Boyd, because he still seemed like a brick, broad shoulders and huge hands. Also, he shaved his head, so there was that.

“The rain usually is around here,” Jackson said with a shrug.

“You coming?” Boyd asked again and Jackson looked from Erica to him.

“Yeah, I guess.” He stood up and watched as Erica moved over, lacing her fingers with Boyd’s before offering her other hand to Jackson. There was a part of him that didn’t want to take it, that part inside that told him this was a bad idea, this could only lead to bad things, because he’d had his share of good things already, hadn’t he? But they weren’t moving, and if he hesitated much longer it would get weird, so he reached out, and laced his fingers with hers and they started walking.

It wasn’t like anything had really changed. The water was still freezing. He was still hungry. His teeth were still fuzzy and his body was layered in grime. Yet somehow, something inside seemed to settle.

*

Boyd

It wasn’t good, but it was better. Everything these days was measured in values, was it worse or was it *better*? Was it worth the risk, or wasn’t it? If it went wrong, what was the most terrible thing that could happen, and could they make it through that thing?

So it wasn’t good, but getting out of the rain and sitting down on a couple of blankets tossed against a cold cement wall was better. It was better than being under the rainstorm. It was better than being completely soaked. Still smelled terrible, but Vernon was getting used to blocking those scents out.

“Why here?” Jackson asked as Erica squeezed Vernon’s hand and let go. She dropped Jackson’s hand as well and walked over to the bag she’d hidden behind a fallen part of wall. One good thing about werewolf strength was that they could make hiding places out of almost anything.

“It’s dry?” Vernon asked. He turned around so his back was to Erica, giving her privacy the moment he saw her pull out dry clothes.

Jackson looked between the two of them and then finally turned around as well. “I guess. Is that the only reason?”

“It’s safer than the streets,” Erica said. “When we slept on the streets it got… dangerous.”

Dangerous was one word for it. People preyed on teenagers when they stayed on the street. Vernon had busted four noses before they’d stopped crashing in alleys. He wasn’t sure the broken noses even stalled two of the pimps in question.

“I guess.” Jackson shrugged and took in a breath. There was so much not said between them but Vernon could feel the strange bindings of pack lightly connect the three of them. It didn’t make sense, but it also didn’t… not. They were all born of the same Alpha, they all had left said Alpha. Now they were together.

“Your turn,” Erica said in the silence that weighed between them then. Vernon turned and Erica stood where he had been. He pulled out his dry clothes and began changing into them.

Glancing up once, he caught Jackson peering at him for a moment and he raised his eyebrow at him. Jackson shrugged and looked away, not looking over at him again until he was completely changed.

“I don’t have anything for you to wear,” Vernon said to Jackson as he began tossing his wet clothes over beams and cement ledges.

“I didn’t expect you to,” Jackson said with a frown.

“I know, I just… didn’t want you to think we were holding out on you.” Vernon couldn’t explain why he wanted Jackson close, why he wanted to know that the other boy was doing okay, but he did. It was a similar feeling he had for Erica.

Jackson crossed his arms and glared. “Stop that. Stop… whatever it is you’re doing. I’m not your charity remember. I swear I’ll go back out into the rain if you keep acting like you have to do anything for me.”

“Fine,” Vernon said as he walked over to Jackson and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You aren’t though. Charity.”

“You just belong,” Erica said. She stepped closer to Jackson as well and touched his other shoulder.

“I don’t belong anywhere,” Jackson said, and both of them could feel the waves of anguish and frustration he was feeling.

“We know,” Vernon said.

They moved together like they were supposed to, arms slipping around each other to pull them all close. A hug that shouldn’t have worked, but somehow did. None of them knew how long they stayed like that, but when they pulled away Jackson was more or less dry and all of their stomachs were growling.

Moving away from each other silently, Erica went back to the bag and pulled out some make up and a brush. “I’ll see if I can’t get a rich daddy to drop some big bucks,” she said as she began taking tangles out of her hair.

“How *do* you guys get money?” Jackson asked.

“Erica distracts guys and I rob them,” Vernon said with a shrug. “Wallets are best, but sometimes I’ll take random stuff from their cars.”

“Does she…” Jackson frowned as he looked over at Erica. Something seemed to be bothering Jackson and it took Vernon a moment to realize what it was.

“If she wants to,” Vernon said harshly. “It’s her body, she can do what she wants with it.”

“That isn’t-“ Jackson started. He looked at Vernon with wide eyes. “That’s not what I meant.” There was frustration and annoyance floating across his pack bonds then and Vernon continued to stare at him until he looked down. “I meant, more like, does she feel like she has to?” Now his voice was very soft and Vernon felt shame. It curled between the two of them like smoke, but this was like wolfsbane smoke, choking him and blocking his throat in thick fingers of pain.

Taking a step back, hoping for something to clear the air even though there was nothing but rain soaked dust floating around them, he took in a deep breath. “No,” he said. “I promised her that she never had to if she didn’t want to. Never.” He’d kill a million deers if that meant keeping them alive, if that was what they became.

“Oh.” Vernon could feel more than see as Jackson turned away from them. He looked at Erica, who was looking at him through the compact mirror in her hands. She nodded towards Jackson and Vernon shrugged. Her eyes narrowed and he nodded towards Jackson again. Rolling his eyes, he turned and wrapped his arms around Jackson from behind. “We weren’t alone,” he said simply. There was support between the two of them. Support and love, pack bonds and tireless caring for one another. Jackson hadn’t had anything like that.

“Yeah.” Jackson’s voice was soft, but he had to know that Vernon could hear him.

“Yeah.” Vernon tilted his head and pressed his nose to the crook of Jackson’s neck, taking in a deep breath, as close to Jackson’s real scent as possible. Jackson leaned into him again and Vernon tried to imagine what it would be like if he’d been alone on the streets. He didn’t like the look of that picture.

“Let’s go, numbnuts,” Erica said. She looked more like a hooker than ever, but it was still a beautiful look on her. Confident at the moment, because she knew this song and dance by now, and she was looking forward to the meal they’d have afterwards. Vernon gave her a smile and a nod. It was time to work.

*

Jackson

Watching Erica saunter up to a man in a three piece suit as though she belonged near him was a thing to be impressed by. It wasn’t like she looked terrible, but she also didn’t look like the kind of person you’d expect to see hanging off his arm. She flirted, and he eyed her body like it was a piece of meat, which sent shivers of dread through Jackson’s body, but when she pulled the man down into a kiss, Boyd moved to the car he’d exited and carefully opened the door.

They were in an alley, but it wasn’t like people weren’t around. Jackson supposed it was one of the rules of the street he never understood. Leave them alone and maybe they wouldn’t bother you or something. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know what to do, so he just watched. Erica ran a hand down the mark’s cheek and then Boyd was slipping out of the car, closing the door just as silently as he’d opened it. Then he was up against Jackson, pressing something into his hand.

“Hold this,” he said softly, so softly that no one else would be able to hear him. A moment later he was straightening, squaring his shoulders and putting a frown on his face. “Candy!” he snapped and Erica pulled away from the man she’d been flirting with. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Shit,” Erica gasped out. She looked between the man and Boyd, the look of terror done so well that for a moment Jackson thought she was actually scared. “Baby,” she said as she walked closer to Boyd. “Baby I… this isn’t…”

The man turned away to look at Boyd and he shrugged. “No harm meant,” he said and Boyd glowered at him.

“No harm meant? You were all over my girl. What do you think I’m gonna think of you?” Boyd bellowed out and the man opened his car door.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” the man said, sliding in and closing the door behind him. He didn’t say anything else as he started driving away.

When he was out of sight Erica giggled and shook her head. “Candy?” she asked and Boyd shrugged, reaching for her hand.

“It was the only thing that came to mind,” he said as she took it. Then he grinned. “You get anything good?”

“His wallet,” she said as she showed off said leather wallet to him.

Jackson looked down at what Boyd had given him. An expensive watch and a small bundle of bills was clutched tightly in his hand. He sniffed the bills in curiosity, but they just smelled like money. When he looked up the two of them were coming over.

“We made out well this time,” Boyd said with a nod. “Enough for a hotel?”

Fingers moving deftly over the watch, Jackson examined it for a few moments before nodding. “You should be able to get enough from the watch itself for that,” he said. “Even at a pawn shop. It’s an expensive piece.”

“Great,” Erica sighed. “One with a bath.”

Boyd grinned and motioned to the bills. “How much was he keeping in his glovebox?”

“I’m not counting this here,” Jackson said as he thrust the things back to Boyd. “We’ll get robbed.”

Erica paused for a moment before reaching out and taking the bills. “No we won’t, not with what we are.”

Right. “Whatever.” He didn’t find much use being a werewolf when he couldn’t control it.

Boyd took the watch and stuffed it in his pocket. Before Jackson could take his hand back, Boyd was lacing their fingers together. “You aren’t alone anymore,” Boyd said. Jackson shook his head but when Boyd pulled him closer he went. “You aren’t.” The words were like a promise that slipped over Jackson’s skin, making him shiver.

“I don’t know that,” Jackson said softly as he allowed himself to be drawn right up against Boyd’s body. “You could leave tomorrow.”

“You could come with us,” he said in return and Jackson scoffed.

“No one wants me to come with them.”

“We do,” Erica said, moving to take the space behind him, Jackson sandwiched between the two bodies, somehow feeling safe even though he knew he shouldn’t.

“No one does,” he muttered obstinately.

“Shut up,” Boyd said and Jackson pressed his face against Boyd’s chest, taking in a breath, wondering what he’d smell like if he didn’t smell like grime and dirt and street.

It was foolish for him to get attached to them, but he didn’t think he was going to have a choice. Somehow they felt right, somehow they felt like… pack. Jackson wasn’t looking for pack, he didn’t even really understand it, but there they were, and he couldn’t let them just slip away from him.

“Okay,” he said finally and Erica relaxed behind him.

“I’ll get the hotel,” Erica said. “Meet you there in a half hour, bring our stuff. If we’re lucky they’ll have a washing machine.” Then she slipped away, but Boyd didn’t move away and neither did Jackson. He might be embarrassed about this later, but for right now he was going to accept the feeling of another person against him, not moving away, not even trying to.

*

Boyd

As soon as they got inside the room, Erica went to the bathroom and peered inside. “Tub!” she exclaimed in excitement. “Okay, you two get it first, so you can just do the shower thing. I’m going to buy bubble bath.”

Vernon chuckled and pulled Jackson into the room, closing the door behind them. “There’ll be no more hot water if we go first.”

“It’ll be fine, trust me.” She gave Vernon a kiss on the cheek and then slipped out of the room, clutching the key card in her fingers so tightly Vernon was worried she’d break it before she got back to the room.

Turning to Jackson, Vernon looked the boy’s face over and frowned. “Are you okay?” he asked. He couldn’t decipher the look in those blue eyes, but he was willing to bet the thoughts weren’t good.

“Do you get hotel rooms often?” Jackson finally asked, looking at the ground. Vernon snorted and waved at his clothes.

“Does it look like we do? We got lucky.” He shook his head. “Is that really what you’re worried about?”

Jackson glanced at the closed door. “Is she your… I mean are you two…”

“No,” Vernon said simply. “We’re just friends. No, we’re more than that, we’re pack. I don’t see her that way though, I’m gay.”

Gaze snapping up to look at Vernon, Jackson cleared his throat. “You are?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not a big deal, and it’s not like people know, but that’s more because people didn’t know me. Your best friend is gay and it isn’t a problem so I don’t expect you to have an issue with it.”

“I don’t, God,” Jackson rolled his eyes. “That’s dumb. Hating someone for something they can’t control is stupid.”

“I agree.” Vernon shrugged. “It doesn’t stop thousands of people from doing it though.”

“Do you want to go first?” Jackson snapped and Vernon frowned.

“What?”

“The shower,” he said, a touch of the old Jackson attitude slipping through his words. Vernon squeezed Jackson’s hand and stepped away.

“No, you go first.” Vernon would grab the clothes and toss them into the laundry. “If you put your clothes outside the door I’ll wash them.”

There was a wary look for a moment before Jackson nodded and headed for the bathroom. His clothes were dropped down and the door closed behind him.

*

When Vernon came back to the room, wrapped up in a towel and nothing more because he wanted to wash all the clothes at once, he saw Jackson on one of the beds. He was also wrapped up in a towel but he was clean now. Very clean. His skin was rubbed a little raw in places, and his hair was towel dried which meant a few drops of water were sliding down his neck.

Vernon was struck by two things in that moment. First, he realized that Jackson looked just as beautiful as he remembered, even if he was too thin at the moment. Secondly he smelled amazing. Vernon wanted to walk over and bury his face in that clean skin to drink in the scent and make it a permanent memory in his mind.

“Erica went back out to grab more shampoo and conditioner,” Jackson said, not looking over at Vernon. He had a remote in his hand and was flipping through the stations on the TV. “I don’t know why she didn’t do it when she met you to drop off her clothes.”

It took him a few moments to realize what Jackson was saying, but he shook his head and wandered over to the bathroom. There was a large bottle of bubble bath on the tub now and he smiled. She was planning on soaking for hours. “I’ll just get started then.”

“Don’t you want…” Jackson started, then he looked up at Vernon. His eyes traveled over Vernon’s body much the same way Vernon’s had done earlier. “Right,” Jackson said with a nod. “No hair, no shampoo needed.” He looked back at the TV but Vernon could smell interest coming from Jackson now. Even though every line of his body seemed to show disinterest, there was a heat to him that hadn’t been there before.

“Exactly,” Vernon said as he lifted a hand to rub at the stubble that really needed to be shaved off again. He closed the door behind himself and started the water. Usually he’d use this time to deal with the things he couldn’t do in the semi-public flop houses he slept at with Erica, but Jackson would hear him. There was no way he was going to do that now.

*

Stretching out on the bed, Vernon let his arms lift above his head, flopping down on the pillows. He felt the cool air dry off his skin and he could feel little prickles as goosebumps formed. It was a nice feeling. A sharp intake came from the other bed and he didn’t even have to look over to know it was Jackson. He could smell the rise of arousal from Jackson but he wasn’t sure if he should address it or not.

Silence reigned for just long enough that Erica was in the tub, the soft sound of her mp3 player distracting her from anything that might happen in the room. Which was when Jackson finally spoke.

“When did you know?” he asked softly and Vernon shrugged.

“Know what?” he asked.

“That you were gay.” Jackson’s voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of being overheard.

Vernon wondered idly if it was easier for Jackson to talk to him because he wasn’t looking over at Jackson, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted to. It seemed like a look at each other kind of conversation. His eyes were closed and he kept them that way even though he tilted his head to one side, face angled at Jackson even if he couldn’t see him.

“I never found myself attracted to women. Then I made Erica kiss me. Figured if I wasn’t gay then that’d do something to me.” He shrugged, the image of her face bringing a smile to his lips. “It was kind of funny actually. She got really pouty about it, and then smirked after because I just shrugged. Didn’t do anything.”

“But that doesn’t mean anything,” Jackson said with a shake of his head. “You could have just had different preferences.”

“I made Isaac kiss me after and got hard instantly.” Now he opened his eyes and looked at Jackson. “So, that blows that theory right out.”

Jackson was watching him intensely, leaning forward on the bed, almost off the edge. His eyes were wide and he licked his lips a few times. Vernon couldn’t help following his tongue as it slid across lips, wondering what his mouth would taste like. Probably mint, given that they were all brushing their teeth from the paste in the room.

“Want to know what it feels like?” Vernon offered and Jackson’s gaze slipped down Vernon’s mostly naked body, a soft nod of his head all the movement to signal that he’d heard Vernon. “Come here then.”

*

Jackson

It took almost all his willpower to move off the bed and over to Boyd. There was a charge in the air that Jackson couldn’t refuse, a heat along his skin that was desperate to know, desperate to feel. That didn’t make it any easier for him to step off the bed and over to the other one.

Boyd was stretched out like a glorious dark god across the pale comforter, a slash of white at his hips where the towel was wrapped up and slipping down between his legs. Jackson wanted to touch all of it, to see how much like his own body this other body was, to know what it was like to touch and be touched by someone so similar, and so different. There was a part of him that expected Boyd to get tired of waiting while Jackson took the two steps closer to him so slowly the entire room seemed to fill with heat, but he just lay there, waiting.

It was the longest two steps of Jackson’s life.

When he finally reached Boyd, his head moved to follow Jackson, eyes never leaving his face, not a single sound coming from his lips. In this moment there was Jackson, there was Boyd, and there was nothing else. No past, no anxiety, just curiosity strumming through Jackson’s veins. He leaned down, and paused for a second before touching his lips to Boyd’s, knowing that if he did this, if he did and his suspicious were correct, then he would never be able to go back to the Jackson he had been before.

He closed the gap and pressed his lips to Boyd’s.

Warmth spread out from the contact to every point in his body, leaving him light headed with the speed it rushed through him. The soft lips kissed him back gently, Boyd tilting his head just slightly so they could meet perfectly. Jackson pressed closer, a soft moan slipping from his throat, hands reaching down to brace himself against the bed. Boyd’s arms moved, sliding down Jackson’s arms leaving a line of heat behind.

Jackson’s body was suddenly overcharged, every ounce of himself hot and wanting. He moved without mental permission, getting onto the bed and straddling Body’s hips, the towel undoing and pooling around his legs, barely covering him. Not that he cared, his hands were touching the hard body under him with a desperation that surprised him. His tongue slipped out of his mouth and met Boyd’s tongue, both of them getting invested in the proceedings at the same time. Large hands ran down his sides, up his back, and Jackson was so hard so fast it overwhelmed him.

When he broke away he looked down and held Boyd’s gaze, unable to ask for more, but wanting it nonetheless. His hips pressed down, hard dick meeting Boyd’s own hard dick and Boyd leaned up into him. It was just supposed to be a kiss, a kiss to find out if he really liked men as much as he liked women, and Jackson absolutely had his answer to that question. He didn’t want to stop though, now that he had started, and he wasn’t sure how to ask for more.

“Checking in,” Boyd finally said, hands settling on Jackson’s hips. “Seems like you’re maybe gay. Or bi I guess.”

“Yeah,” Jackson nodded as he licked his lips and tried to take in breaths that weren’t completely filled with sexual need. It was a losing battle really. “I’m gonna go with bi.”

“That seems fair.” Boyd didn’t move to do more, didn’t press and didn’t try to lead Jackson into anything that he might not want. It was… strange to Jackson.

He’d done it, just a few times when he was so desperate for food that he was willing to give himself up for a hot meal and a shower. It wasn’t amazing, it was a means to an end, and he’d never really cared for it, but there had been stirrings, and he hadn’t known if it was just because of the prostate or if it was something more. Now he knew, it was something more. It was possible he wouldn’t be able to offer himself up in that way ever again.

“Do you…” Jackson started, but he didn’t know how to ask. Instead he sat back and moved his hand to his chest, slipping it down, watching Boyd follow the motion, eyes focused entirely on his fingers, even as they dipped behind the towel and wrapped around his dick. Both of them sucked in a breath at the same time and Boyd’s lips opened, fingers gripping Jackson’s waist tighter. “…Want to?” Jackson finally finished and now those warm brown eyes lifted to meet his own.

“Yes,” Boyd breathed out.

“Have you? Before?” Jackson wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that, but he’d asked.

“Yeah, once.” He didn’t elaborate, but he did motion to the bag on the ground. “Lube.”

“Fuck,” Jackson breathed out, body tightening with anticipation. He slipped off the bed, letting the towel drop to the ground as he went over to the bag. Grabbing it he pulled it onto the bed and Boyd reached for it without even looking. A second later Jackson was climbing back onto the bed, straddling Boyd’s hips once more. There was a bottle in Boyd’s hand and he tugged his own towel off.

Jackson was pretty proud of his body, or at least he used to be. Regular food, regular exercise, lots of work making it toned and beautiful and all of that faded away over the course of a few months on the street. Now he was scrawny, ribs defined, more bone than muscle, the few incidents he’d had with sharp objects or teeth gone due to werewolf healing leaving him at least as flawless in that respect as he’d been prior to this new part of his life.

Boyd was completely different. He was broader in the shoulders than Jackson was, and there was more muscle on him than there was on Jackson, arms still beefy even though he was out here just like Jackson was. It wasn’t fair, but Jackson could appreciate the body under his, and he did by leaning down to lick at the skin, tongue flicking over a nipple. A gasp came from Boyd and Jackson smirked as he did it again, pulling it into his mouth and letting it go with a pop. He looked up at Boyd who had one hand wrapped around the bottle of lube and the other one at his hip, body trembling in light little tremors under Jackson.

“You like that?” Jackson asked as he kissed across Boyd’s chest and met the other nipple, giving it the same attention as he had the first.

“Fuck,” Boyd breathed out. He opened the lube with a flick of his thumb and Jackson reached out to take it, turning it so he let some of it ooze on Boyd’s hand. Boyd instantly moved the hand between them, fingers slipping around Jackson’s dick, lightly tugging at it to get it slippery before moving to his own. Then, as Jackson bit the muscle that was offending him on Boyd’s chest, he let go of Jackson’s hip in order to use both hands to stroke them against one another.

It felt incredible. Jackson’s hips started moving in time to the hands, fingers pressing into Boyd’s arms to hold on as the sensations got too strong too fast. He chased after the feeling, orgasm rushing through him in a wave of heat he hadn’t expected to feel so intensely. A moment later Boyd was coming as well, their bodies getting messy as fluids mixed and Jackson couldn’t care less.

Taking in deep breaths, fingers clutching on Boyd’s arms still, Jackson closed his eyes and just felt, allowing himself to just be in this moment. Boyd didn’t say anything either, fingers loosening from around them, falling to his sides. He could really appreciate Boyd, the way he was there but didn’t require a ton of words. Lydia had always been a talker, the popularity more important than anything else, even though Jackson had known she wasn’t stupid. This felt better now, knowing that he didn’t have to be anyone in particular. He just had to be Jackson. There was no one to impress, no one to show off for.

Finally though, he had to move, so he let go of Boyd, pushed the bag off the bed and flopped onto his back next to the other boy. “Thanks,” he said softly and Boyd turned his head to look at Jackson.

“Sure,” Boyd said with a small nod. They stared at each other for a few moments. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Jackson allowed a smile to take the place of his customary smirk. “I’m okay.”

Then Boyd gave him a smile and it was a good one. It lit up places inside Jackson that he’d ignored for a long time. Jackson moved closer to Boyd and pressed their sides together. This felt right, and Jackson would take it.

*

Erica

When Erica came out of the bathroom they were both asleep on the bed, fingers tangled together, Jackson’s head against Vernon’s shoulder. Their bodies needed cleaned but she wasn’t about to do it. A small smile spread across her lips and she tightened the robe around her, drying out her hair with a towel and turning away from them.

Boys.

*

Boyd

When Vernon woke up he was tangled with Jackson, body crusty and uncomfortable, and he didn’t hear Erica in the room at all. Carefully moving away from Jackson, he stood up and looked around the room. She wasn’t in the bathroom, and given the lack of their clothes, he didn’t think she’d picked those up from the dryer. That wasn’t like her.

Taking in a deep breath, he tasted the scent of her, clean, fresh, still damp but it was old by at least a few hours. Too old. She’d never be gone so long, not without telling him what she was doing. He rushed into the bathroom to wet a washcloth, cleaning himself as quickly as he could. Then he tossed the other washcloth on Jackson, waking him with a touch to his shoulder.

“Jackson,” he said as the other boy’s eyes snapped open and lightly flashed blue. “I need you to get up and get cleaned off. Erica isn’t here, I don’t know where she is. I’m going to go check on the clothes.” Jackson nodded and Vernon grabbed a towel, wrapping it around himself before disappearing out the door, keycard in his hand.

He could follow her scent all the way down to the laundry room. Their clothes were in a dryer, which was finished drying, so he pulled those out, looking around for any other evidence of Erica. As he dressed he tried to think of all the places she might have gone but all he could think of was food. She couldn’t have done that without her clothes though and both sets were now in his hands. Rushing back to the room, he entered and dumped the clothes on the bed.

Jackson came out of the bathroom and began dressing himself. “She wasn’t down there?” Jackson asked and Vernon shook his head. He began folding up the clothes and stuffed them into the bag.

“I’m going to follow her trail, but I don’t know where that’s going to lead me.” They had some basic plans in case anything ever happened to one of them, but those were done assuming they’d be chased by hunters. There was no reason to suspect that was what they were dealing with. Right?

A hand settled on his shoulder and Vernon realized he’d been breathing hard, eyes changing so he was seeing the world as heat signatures instead of light. He looked over at Jackson and tried to pull back from the panic he was feeling. “You aren’t alone anymore,” Jackson said softly. “Not that you were alone with Erica, but I mean…”

His eyes faded to normal sight and Vernon leaned into Jackson, placing his head against Jackson’s shoulder. Taking in a deep breath, he nodded. There were always the pack bonds, and he couldn’t feel anything from Erica for the moment. Which didn’t mean terrible things couldn’t have happened, but it meant they weren’t currently happening. That was good at the least. What surprised him was the new bond he had to Jackson, steady, solid, calm. It grounded him and he moved away.

“Thanks,” Vernon said and Jackson nodded.

“Sure. Hide the bag in a drawer and let’s go find her.” Jackson squeezed Vernon’s arm and stepped away, opening the drawer on the dresser.

Vernon dropped the bag in and then slipped the key card between his hip and his underwear. Looking at Jackson he took in another deep breath and headed for the door. As long as no car was involved, she couldn’t have gotten far.

*

A car must have been involved because it took them a couple of hours to find her. It was a different hotel they were stepping into, this one more upper class and they were walking over a little fence into the back entrance following her scent. Now at least it was fresh, and Vernon headed in and up to the fourth floor. They were down the hall in an instant and when they stopped at the appropriate door he pressed his ear to it. He could hear movement on the other side but nothing else.

Glancing at Jackson, who nodded, he knocked on the door and waited. Nothing happened so he knocked again and called out, “Housekeeping!”

A moment later the door opened and Erica was there, a frown on her face and blood dripping down her arm. “Vernon?” she asked, brow wrinkling. “You okay?”

“Jesus Erica,” he said, leaning in to press his cheek against hers. She didn’t smell hurt, and the blood wasn’t hers. “What the hell happened?”

“Oh, remember the douchenozzle we stole from? He saw me and tased me before I could get away. When I woke up I was here. Come in you dorks,” she said as she pulled Vernon in, Jackson following right behind.

Their earlier mark was lying on the bed, knocked out cold, a couple of scratches across his chest forming the words, “uses a taser, do not trust”. Vernon shook his head, a fondness filling him as he held Erica close.

“You’re insane,” he said and she chuckled.

“Yup. Sorry, I’d have been back sooner but I got involved.” She looked over at the two of them. “So, I think it’s time to move on, yeah?”

Vernon looked at Jackson who had a smirk on his lips and was looking at the body on the bed in great amusement. It took a moment before he looked up at them. Lifting his eyebrows at Jackson, Jackson looked at Erica. She was watching him with a small smile.

“You mean me too?” he asked.

“Yeah, I mean,” Erica reached out and touched his hand. Jackson twisted his fingers up and laced them with hers. “You’re ours now, right?”

Jackson looked at Vernon and Vernon gave him a nod. “Right?” Vernon reiterated and Jackson swallowed. Tentatively offering his other hand to Vernon, Jackson nodded his head.

“Yeah. If you’ll have me,” he said, fingers lacing with Vernon’s so the three of them were connected.

“Better as pack,” Vernon agreed.

“Whatever,” Jackson scoffed, but there was a little pink on his cheeks and Vernon would absolutely call it a win.

“Great. I already grabbed his cash so let’s head out,” Erica said as she squeezed Jackson’s hand and let it go, slipping out of Vernon’s grasp. She walked to the bathroom and began cleaning up the specks of blood on her body.

“Do you really even want me?” Jackson asked and Vernon shrugged.

“Why not?” he asked.

“No one really likes me.”

“No one really knew me,” Vernon said calmly. “Until Erica did. So what if some people don’t like you? I do, so that’s changed. Don’t get stuck in the past. We have the now to get through.”

Jackson rolled his eyes and Erica came out of the bathroom. “Let’s go boys,” she said with a firm nod. Vernon stepped behind her and Jackson fell into step behind him.

*

Epilogue:

“Casey! Come back inside. And bring your brother!” Erica yelled from the porch and Jackson snorted. The likelihood that Casey or Ben would be inside in the next two hours was slim to none. Erica just liked to yell.

“When is Papa gonna be home?” Casey called and Jackson looked at the clock. Five minutes.

“Soon,” Erica said. “Which is why you need to come in and get washed up.” Then she was stomping into the house and paused next to the kitchen bar. “Jesus Jackson, it smells amazing in here.”

“That’s what happens when someone cooks,” he said as he moved the pan of sizzling vegetables to the side. “Is Yolanda awake?” She was only two, and she loved Vernon the best. It was always good when he was home to wake her up.

“Not yet, I’ve got fingers crossed that Vernon can do it when he gets home.” Erica moved over next to him and peered at the ground beef being decimated into tiny bits for the taco’s he was making. “Do you need the seasoning?”

“Sure.” Just as he said it, the sound of a car coming up the drive reached his ears and he smiled. “Oh, lucky us,” he said as Erica lifted her head and looked at the door.

“Great, he can get Yolanda,” Erica said before tossing him the bottle of seasoning.

He caught it midair and laughed as Vernon came in the door, Casey hanging from his neck. “What’s this octopus doing outside getting her skirt dirty?” Vernon asked and Jackson shrugged. Vernon came over and lightly kissed Jackson before moving into the living room and twisting around so he could plunk Casey on the couch.

“How was work?” Jackson asked, turning the stove off and moving the pan from the burner. Vernon was at him again a moment later, slipping arms around him and giving him a much better kiss.

“Work,” Vernon said when he finally moved away. “How was home?”

“Home,” Jackson returned with as much inflection as Vernon had given him. “Oh, but we might have a five year old in a couple of days.”

“Why might?” Vernon asked.

“It sounds like Beacon might take her.”

“Don’t they already have, like six?” Vernon asked.

“Yeah, but…” Jackson glanced at Erica who shrugged. Rolling his eyes, he looked back at Vernon. “She was a born wolf from a pretty big family, so they think she might bond there better.”

“Ah. That makes sense.” Vernon smirked. “Well if we lose, I’ll have to see what I can do to keep you from getting too sad.”

Jackson closed his eyes and leaned against the broad shoulders that had held him steady ever since they’d found each other again. “I expect all the distractions,” Jackson murmured against the cloth, knowing that Vernon would hear him. This wasn’t the life he’d expected, but it was the one he’d built. The one his pack had decided on. Four kids and house surrounded by trees, the sound of laughter and the bonds of love holding them all together. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.


End file.
